Ahhh, this brought back a lot of good memories. I still miss this as a daily cartoon; really nothing else since has grabbed me the same way and it has been interesting, working in a library, to see the "gospel" of Calvin being passed on from parents to children. It was quite interesting to read the interview with Bill Watterson, both to learn of how the concept was discovered, how he worked on it, and ultimately why he decided to stop. Also interesting was his take on the current state of...read more

In this age of flash-communication when messages are prized for their brief and fleeting nature, digging into Letters of Note is an inspiring reminder of the power of the old-fashioned written word. Eclectic, indeed, this collection of real-life letters of historical and cultural significance includes love letters, threat letters, advice letters, and plea letters; letters from children, prisoners, scientists, presidents, and movie stars.
Some letters are funny; some letters are heart-...read more

Humans and Dragons have lived together for years with a tenuous truce between them. Yet factions of both humankind and dragonkind are trying to spark a war. Seraphina lives in the palace, daughter of a diplomat, and child of both a human and a dragon. She hides her scales and tries not to call attention to herself, all while working to find a role in the Royal court that would preclude marriage and discovery.I'm a big fan of intrigue, so I liked the Royal intrigue that gets set into play in...read more

This latest by the author of Water for Elephants takes place in Scotland during WWII. Three Gatsby-like characters of American wealth and privilege get into a drunken New Year's Eve mess they can't fix and set off in search of the Loch Ness monster to try and redeem themselves. Maddie, Ellis and Hank travel oversees during air raids and U-boat attacks and arrive in Drumnadrochit thinking they are going to go monster...read more

We know the characters: a pretty brunette commoner, her vivacious sister, a young prince pressured to find an appropriate bride, the aging queen presiding over a dysfunctional family. We know most of the story too: they met cute at university, pursue a secret relationship while dodging paparazzi, break up and eventually reunite in a wedding that is broadcast worldwide. There’s really no great literary reason that Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (better known as the Fug bloggers) to write ...read more

Recommended BiographiesSummer is a time for reading. Some enjoy great beach reads or guilty pleasures for summer reading. But some also like to learn as they relax. If you're one of those people and you enjoy biographies, you should take a look at Booklist's Top 10 Biographies for this year.
Eye on the Struggle...read more

This year’s Teen’s Choice Awards program has gotten off to a busy start. Already there are four votes cast on the Teen’s Choice blog. Sleeping Freshmen is one of this year’s review books. At first, Scott is that kid who just wants to get through the day without getting smacked in the back of the head on the bus, without being targeted by older kids for his money, without looking like too much of a nerd to his crush, Julie. Then he sees Julie is involved in various activities and...read more